What’s the Big Deal about Neglecting to Get a Root Canal?

While you may not be overjoyed when your dentist tells you that you need a root canal, you can rest assured that they would not recommend this treatment if it was not in your best interest. Root canal therapy can eliminate a dental infection at its source, preventing a host of unpleasant consequences for your oral health. Here’s a brief guide to why you shouldn’t skip getting a root canal if your dentist recommends it as well as how your oral care provider will ensure your comfort during the procedure.

Root Canals End Toothaches

Tooth decay begins as a pre-cavity spot that can usually be reversed with improved oral hygiene if it is caught early enough, but it will eventually turn into a cavity if left untreated. These dental infections will not get better on their own, and they will only move deeper into the tooth if allowed to progress. Eventually, the infection will reach the pulp at the center of the tooth, resulting in an agonizing toothache. Root canal therapy involves removing the pulp as well as sanitizing, filling, and sealing the inner chamber of the tooth, which eliminates the infection as well as the pain it causes.

Root Canals Prevent Tooth Loss

 If you’ve stubbornly avoided getting a root canal despite grueling dental pain, you may eventually find that the throbbing toothache goes away on its own after a while. While this may seem like a relief, a toothache suddenly disappearing usually means that the infection has killed the nerve ending in the pulp of the tooth. In this situation, the infection will still go on even though no pain signals are sent to the brain, and the tooth will decay further until it is eventually lost.

To make matters worse, tooth decay can spread from one tooth to the neighboring teeth, leading to further tooth loss. Root canal therapy can stop this infection in its tracks, preventing not only the loss of the afflicted tooth but also that of other teeth in the mouth.

Are Root Canals Painless?

Before performing your root canal, your dentist will administer an appropriate anesthetic treatment and possibly a sedation treatment to ensure that you feel no pain during the procedure. This means you will experience no discomfort as your dentist removes the infected tissue and rebuilds and seals your tooth. While you can expect to experience some soreness for a few days afterward, this should be far milder than living with a continuing toothache and easily managed with prescribed or over-the-counter pain medication.

Skipping a necessary root canal may be one of the worst things you can do for your oral health. These treatments have helped millions of patients find relief from toothaches and prevented countless teeth from needing extraction.

About the Author

Dr. Shandy Condie earned her dental degree at the Creighton School of Dentistry and has completed courses focusing on cosmetic, restorative, and neuromuscular dentistry at the prestigious Las Vegas Institute. She is proud to serve as a member of the American Dental Association and the Arizona Dental Association. Her office in Gilbert offers general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry as well as root canal services. If you have a persistent toothache, contact her office online or dial (480) 279-3100.